With production nearing an end on J.J. Abrams' much-anticipated (and still officially untitled) Star Trek sequel, returning star Chris Pine and newcomer villain Benedict Cumberbatch spoke with Access Hollywood and Zap2It, respectively, about the May 17th release (via TrekWeb).

"Of course I'm gonna tell you I think it's gonna be better," Pine laughs, "You pick up the characters from where they left off, and the development of the characters, I think, is just as exciting as the first one... And it's relentless. I think that's the best adjective I can use."

As far as Cumberbatch's role, the "Sherlock" star only teased the faintest of details.

"I've gone up two suit sizes," he says, "The character I'm playing, he's strong. I can say that much. I've changed my physique a bit, so that requires eating like a foie gras goose, well beyond your appetite, And, providing I don't feel too ill, I then work out two hours a day with a phenomenal trainer. It's the L.A. way."

It's not like we didn't see this coming. But now Trek Movie's sources tell them that Benedict Cumberbatch is in fact playing Khan in J.J. Abrams' currently-filming Star Trek 2. The return of everyone's favorite genetically-engineered superman has been rumored pretty much since Star Trek 1 came out, even while Abrams' camp has denied it.

Interestingly, Trek Movie says that "the film is not a rehash of 'Space Seed,' the original Star Trek episode where Kirk and crew first encounter the genetic superman from the past." And the oft-made Batman comparison is also apt here: The Trek team have frequently said that they're looking to the model of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight movies, and in this case you can see Khan as being the equivalent of the Joker from the second film in that series.

Additionally, the site confirms that Leonard Nimoy is in fact back for Star Trek 2 as Spock Prime, which had been rumored these past few days. And, the Klingons are confirmed to also be in the film -- "not a sub-plot that could be easily cut out [like in Star Trek 1] … so we will finally see the J.J.-verse version of Klingons on the big screen."

Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, Simon Pegg today confirmed to The Telegraph that the villian of the still-untitled Star Trek sequel will not be Khan Noonien Singh.

“It’s not Khan,” said the actor, who plays Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. “That’s a myth. Everyone’s saying it is, but it’s not.”

Rumors began late last year when Benicio Del Toro was said to be up for a role as an undisclosed villian in the 2013 release. After the part went to Benedict Cumberbatch, rumors continued with a number of online sites "confirming" that Khan would appear.

In the original "Star Trek" universe, Khan, played by Ricardo Montalban, was a genetically engineered tyrant who seized control of much of the Earth in the 1990's during a conflict known as "The Eugenics Wars." At the conclusion of his reign, Khan escaped the Earth in a starship, the Botany Bay, and was held in suspended animation with his crew until he was found and revived in 2267 by Captain James T. Kirk. The character returned to menace the crew of the Enterprise in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, details on Star Trek 2 are characteristically minimal, though returning cast members include Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Bruce Greenwood with new roles for Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller. Featuring a script by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof, the film will hit theaters on May 17, 2013.

During last night's MTV Movie Awards, TrekMovie.com noticed a bit of a surprise hidden in the background of J.J. Abrams' appearance. On the monitor behind the director of the upcoming (but still untitled) Star Trek sequel, there can be seen a frame depicting an armored Klingon warrior. HitFix is now confirming that the image does, indeed, come from the upcoming film and that the Klingon race will play a part in the sequel.

Despite the reveal, the look of the Klingon costume does not entirely come as a surprise. Abrams included Klingons in a scene from his 2009 film which, though deleted from the final cut, can be seen on the home video release. Because of the visual disparity between the Klingons of the original "Star Trek" and how they appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture on, Abrams' Klingons are shown wearing metal faceplates that include their forehead ridges, leaving it somewhat ambiguous as to what they really look like underneath.

Even though Klingons will appear in the film, details on their role in the storyline are still minimal, but check back for updates as they become available.

Returning cast members include Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Bruce Greenwood with new roles for Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller. Featuring a script by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof, the film will hit theaters on May 17, 2013.

IMAX Corporation and Paramount Pictures Corporation today announced that the sequel to J.J. Abrams' 2009 blockbuster Star Trek, will be released in the immersive IMAX 3D format on May 17, 2013. The film represents the second feature in the ground-breaking franchise to be released in IMAX following Star Trek, which grossed more than $375 million at the worldwide box office.

Following on the heels of Paramount Pictures' and Bad Robot's 2011 hit, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the filmmakers have once again taken full advantage of the IMAX camera as well as the clarity and scope that The IMAX Experience provides in order to transport fans into this 23rd century world. Several key sections of the film that feature big action set pieces have been captured with IMAX cameras.

Exclusively in IMAX, sequences shot with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill the entire screen and further immerse the audience in the vast dimension and adventure of this highly-anticipated follow-up. Directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Damon Lindelof (Prometheus), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek), the sequel follows another chapter of the USS Enterprise crew's exploration into the unknown. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Greenwood. They are joined by new cast members Peter Weller and Alice Eve.

"We were so thrilled with the creative results of shooting IMAX for 'Mission: Impossible' that we jumped at the chance to use the format for 'Star Trek.' All expectations were exceeded -- the action and resolution is insane at this scale. We cannot wait for audiences to see the crew of the Enterprise in a way they never have before," said J.J. Abrams.

"J.J. and the filmmaking team behind the 'Star Trek' franchise are once again working to give audiences one of the best film going experiences available today," said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures. "Following the great success of the first film in the newly revived franchise, the sequel to 'Star Trek' will no doubt be among the top choices for moviegoers next summer."

"We are extremely proud to be continuing our successful partnership with Paramount Pictures, J.J., Bryan Burk, Bad Robot and the entire 'Star Trek' team through this iconic franchise that has the perfect DNA for IMAX fans," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment.

The IMAX release of the Star Trek sequel will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

While he wouldn't say who exactly Benedict Cumberbatch is playing other than the villain, Star Trek 2 co-screenwriter Roberto Orci did go on record to name five established Trek characters who will absolutely not appear in the sequel.

According to JoBlo (via AICN), Orci said the following Trek characters won't be in the film: Gary Mitchell, Charlie X, Ruk, Janice Rand, and The Borg.

Orci also said there's a "75% chance" the words Star Trek will be used in the title, and that he and CBS have also explored the possibility of a new Star Trek animated series.

Everyone expecting to see Khan in Star Trek 2 had better back off for a second, because a new report indicates that the film might feature an entirely different villain.

While chatting with SFX, Karl Urban -- a.k.a. Dr. McCoy -- said the following about Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the film's heavy: “He’s awesome, he’s a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.”

Gary Mitchell?! What?! I'm not joking Lee! (That's a little aside for the Trekkies who are reading.)

For the non-Trekkies out there, a refresher: Mitchell was a character in the very first Captain Kirk episode of Star Trek. Played by Gary Lockwood, he was a Starfleet officer and close friend of Kirk's who was -- spoilers for an almost half-century old TV episode -- endowed with god-like powers and turned bad. The segment was called "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and it's truly one of the great Star Trek stories.

But here's the thing. Roberto Orci, who co-wrote Star Trek 2, recently named several characters who would not be in the film, and Mitchell was one of them. Additionally, the character recently showed up in the IDW comic which the filmmakers have said ties into the continuity of the films. But would director J.J. Abrams be down with that if Mitchell was the real villain of his movie?

So someone would seem to be misleading us here, but who is it? I hope it is Mitchell rather than Khan, because his relationship with Kirk would make for a great foundation to their inevitable conflict.

Tomorrow, September 8th, marks the 46th anniversary of Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek,, but SuperHeroHype is celebrating a little early with a juicy rumor to share. We've been been told that the 2013 J.J. Abrams sequel has chosen a title and will hit theaters as Star Trek Into Darkness.

Although we have not yet been able to officially confirm said title, the domain names www.startrekintodarkness.com and www.startrekintodarknessmovie were both registered yesterday through MarkMonitor, an anonymous domain registry service that just so happens to have been utilized by Paramount Pictures for recent URLs like their official G.I. Joe: Retaliation site.

We'll bring you confirmation as soon as it's available, but what is certain is that the film will star Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller with a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof and that it will hit theaters on May 17, 2013 in 2D, 3D theaters and IMAX 3D versions.

Paramount Pictures is finally going to give fans a good look at their upcoming sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. On December 14, the first nine minutes of footage from the 2013 release will screen in 3D at IMAX theaters will screen in 3D at IMAX theaters before showings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

“Our longtime partners J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and the Bad Robot team have really hit it out of the park – the footage is absolutely incredible," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “Their use of the IMAX Camera and canvas is sure to impress current and future Star Trek fans alike, and we’re thrilled to once again work with our friends at Paramount Pictures to offer this extended ‘first look’ at this highly anticipated summer blockbuster.”

To further the IMAX experience, Star Trek Into Darkness used IMAX cameras to capture several sequences. Exclusively in IMAX theaters, sequences filmed with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill more of the screen with unprecedented crispness and clarity, putting moviegoers right into the explosive action and vast scope of the film.

Similar IMAX previews have been used to great success with films like The Dark Knight, Avatar and, last year, Paramount's own Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

The film, set for release on May 17, 2013, is directed by J.J. Abrams with a script by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof. Chris Pine, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin will reprise their roles from the 2009 original with new parts for Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller. Abrams is producing with Bryan Burk through Bad Robot Productions, along with Lindelof, Kurtzman and Orci.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

The shroud of mystery surrounding J.J. Abrams' highly-anticipated sequel Star Trek Into Darkness is slowly being pulled back as, earlier this week, we got our first glimpse at the film's teaser poster. Now, star Simon Pegg reveals that fans won't have to wait long for their first taste of footage (not counting, of course, Abrams' three-frame practical joke from last October). The film's official trailer is due to hit this Thursday, December 6, Pegg revealed through his Twitter feed.

Said to run one minute and three seconds, the trailer arrives one week before a nine-minute preview that will screen prior to IMAX screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Paramount Pictures has also revealed an international calendar for the films various worldwide release dates. You can find out when Star Trek Into Darkness will arrive in your country by clicking here.